The Empire Strikes Back
The Empire Strikes Back also known as Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film and sequel to A New Hope. Plot Three years after destroying the Death Star, the Rebel Alliance has been driven from their former base on Yavin IV by the Galactic Empire. Princess Leia now leads a contingent that includes Han Solo and Luke Skywalker in a hidden new base on the icy planet Hoth. Luke goes to investigate a probe droid sent by Darth Vader in search of him, but is ambushed by a monstrous, furry wampa. While Han Solo searches for him, Luke frees himself from the wampa's cave with his lightsaber, but soon suffers from the freezing temperatures of the snowy wasteland. The spirit of his late mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, appears before him and instructs him to go to the planet Dagobah to train under Jedi Master Yoda. Han finds Luke and uses the warmth of his dead tauntaun for shelter while they wait for rescue. As Luke recovers, the Imperial fleet, having been alerted to the location of the Rebel base by the probe droid, launches an attack using gigantic AT-AT Walkers led by Vader. The Rebels mount a strong defense, and Luke brings down a walker single-handedly after his fighter is disabled, but the base is nonetheless captured. Han and Leia escape on the Millennium Falcon with C-3PO and Chewbacca, but their hyperspace drive malfunctions. They hide in an asteroid field, where Han and Leia grow closer. Vader turns to several notorious bounty hunters, including Boba Fett, to assist in finding the Falcon. Luke escapes with R2-D2 in his X-wing fighter and crash lands on Dagobah. He meets the diminutive Yoda, who accepts Luke as his pupil after conferring with Obi-Wan's spirits. While undergoing intensive training, Luke has a premonition of Han and Leia in pain and, against Yoda's wishes, leaves to save his friends, promising to return to his complete his training. Having escaped detection, Han sets a course for Cloud City, a floating gas mining colony in the skies of the planet Bespin run by Han's old friend, Lando Calrissian. Shortly after they arrive, though, Lando reluctantly turns them over to Vader and Boba Fett, who followed them to Bespin, to prevent the takeover of his city. Over Lando's objections, Vader uses them as bait to bring Luke into his trap. Vader intends to hold Luke in suspended animation via carbon freezing, and selects Han as a test subject for the process. Leia professes her love for Han, after which Han is frozen in a block of carbonite. Vader gives Han's hibernating form to Fett, who plans to present this "prize" to Jabba the Hutt. Lando frees Leia and the others, but they are too late to stop Fett from escaping with Han, forcing them to flee in the Millennium Falcon without him. Meanwhile, Luke arrives at Cloud City and falls into Vader's trap. Luke and Vader engage in a lightsaber duel that leads them over the central air shaft of Cloud City. Vader cuts off Luke's right hand, disarming him, and reveals that he did not kill Luke's father, but actually is Luke's father. Horrified by this fact, Luke refuses Vader's offer to rule the galaxy at his side, choosing instead to throw himself down the air shaft. He slides through a tube system and is ejected but catches onto an antenna under the floating city. He makes a desperate telepathic plea to Leia, who senses it and persuades Lando to return for him. When its hyperdrive is finally repaired by R2-D2, the Falcon escapes at last. Abroad a Rebel medical frigate, Luke is fitted with a robotic artificial hand. Lando and Chewbacca set off in the Falcon to rescue Han as Luke, Leia, R2-D2, and C-3PO look on. Cast Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker Harrison Ford as Han Solo Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian Anthony Daniels as C-3PO David Prowse and James Earl Jones as Darth Vader Kenny Baker as R2-D2 Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca Frank Oz as Yoda Jeremy Bulloch as Boba Fett Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi Denis Lawson as Wedge Antilles Clive Revill as Emperor Palpatine Legacy The Empire Strikes Back was the highest grossing movie of 1980 making over $209,398,025. It lead to the sequel later known as The Return of the Jedi. The line from the movie "No, I'm Your Father" became famous and been used many years later. It is also considered the best movie in the Star Wars saga and one of the greatest movies of all-time. Category:1980s Films